Legal Definitions - Blackstone lawyer

Definition: A Blackstone lawyer is a slang term used to describe two types of lawyers. The first type is a lawyer who has a broad knowledge of blackletter principles. Blackletter principles refer to the traditional legal principles that were used in England and America before the 19th century. The second type of Blackstone lawyer is a self-educated lawyer, especially in antebellum America, whose legal training consists primarily of reading Blackstone's Commentaries.

Example 1: John is a Blackstone lawyer who specializes in property law. He has a deep understanding of the traditional legal principles that were used in England and America before the 19th century. He is able to apply these principles to modern property law cases, which gives him an advantage over other lawyers who do not have this knowledge.

Example 2: Mary is a self-educated lawyer who learned about the law by reading Blackstone's Commentaries. She was not able to attend law school, but she was determined to become a lawyer. She spent years studying Blackstone's Commentaries and other legal texts, and she eventually passed the bar exam. Mary is a Blackstone lawyer because her legal training consisted primarily of reading Blackstone's Commentaries.

Explanation: The examples illustrate the two types of Blackstone lawyers. Example 1 shows a lawyer who has a broad knowledge of blackletter principles, which is the first type of Blackstone lawyer. Example 2 shows a self-educated lawyer who learned about the law by reading Blackstone's Commentaries, which is the second type of Blackstone lawyer. Both types of Blackstone lawyers are known for their deep understanding of traditional legal principles and their ability to apply these principles to modern legal cases.